Letters to the editor

September 27, 2012

College didn't show 'military support' in time of need

Editor:

I am writing to you in response to the article printed "College named 'Military Friendly.'" I have the hopes that you will print my words because I feel our community deserves to know. According to the article, military friendly schools are chosen by "offering a high level of military support."

My fiance is currently deployed on a 13 plus month tour of duty to Afghanistan. I was a loyal North Central student as well as a life long resident of Petoskey, wishing to support my community. Last fall when my fiance deployed, I was enrolled full time in the first year of the nursing program. In order for me to be there to see him off, it was necessary for me to miss one day of classes. I was assured of how important this was and encouraged to attend. Two weeks later I was dismissed from the nursing program for attending the departure ceremony for the 126th Cavalry out of Cadillac, Mich. Many derogatory remarks were made by North Central faculty including a remark about a nursing dummy's arms being "blown off in Afghanistan."

I'd like to bring attention to the fact that a member of my fiance's unit, the 126th Cavalry, was in fact involved in an IED explosion in May 2012, losing both of his arms as well as several other serious injuries. With returning war veterans being a large portion of our population, should professional members of our health care team be making such derogatory comments about our nation's heroes? In conclusion, I can't help but wonder if this so called "military support" has influenced the decrease in enrollment they are currently suffering as I am currently finishing my degree at Kirtland Community College in Gaylord. Let's let the community be the judge.

Andi Caron, Petoskey

The follow is a response from North Central Michigan College marketing director, Shawn Bauman.

North Central is committed to supporting all of its students, including its responsibilities to veterans and their families. The college also maintains high standards for performance and integrity in its academic programs. The nursing program prepares students for a demanding and critical career. In order to assure adequate knowledge of subject matter and safe patient care, absence and attendance polices are applied to all nursing students. The limited number of permitted absences requires students to make careful and responsible choices about their decisions.

People are people, corporations are not

Editor:

What do swing voters want? For starters, honesty, common sense, and vision that goes beyond the next election. For example:

Instead of spending trillions on oil wars and getting the whole world angry with us, rethink foreign policy. We didn't like being colonized; other countries don't like it either.

Instead of spending trillions destroying the earth by fracking, drilling, and blowing tops off mountains for fossil fuels, build 100 miles of mirrors (10,000 sq. miles) in the deserts for solar thermal energy production. This would provide more energy than the whole country currently uses.

Instead of spending billions on influence peddling, put people to work building high speed rails, advancing fuel cell technology, and rebuilding the infrastructure. Swing voters would find these more useful than "influence."

Instead of leaving NASA in limbo, give the agency a budget and long term goals it can count on. This would stimulate research and development and provide great spin-off technology.

Instead of spending billions lobbying to cut Social Security and Medicare, use the money to keep these programs viable. They do not contribute to the deficit. They are not "entitlements." Social Security is deferred earnings and Medicare is insurance paid for by premiums.

Instead of wasting money speculating on food prices, use the money to feed hungry people all over the world.

Instead of stalling on GMO labeling when 93 percent of the people want to know what's in their food, get it done. This will save on health care costs. And please, no weakening of the law.

Instead of using Gestapo tactics on whistleblowers, honor their courage, listen to their truth, and rethink "the way we've always done things."

Instead of treating corporations like people and people like commodities, realize that people vote. Corporations don't.

Celia M. Hastings, Ellsworth

Muslims should love Obama

Editor:

What will our president and secretary of state do to replace the apologetic Pakistan TV ad when the movie that enhances the president's greatest foreign accomplishment; the killing of bin Laden with the help of the Seal 6 group, becomes public? They can hardly say they had nothing to do with it or it is not the fault of the government, as they did in the first ad that seemed to question America's free speech, since they bent over backward to have it produced as one big ego trip for the president. They opened many secret doors for the producers of the movie.

I wonder if they will withdraw staff from 20 embassies before it is released. At least this time we will not be able to claim they should not be expected to anticipate any rioting by the Muslims that should love Obama because of his Muslim background; this time we should all know better.

John J. Crinnion, Harbor Springs

Extremism and power

Editor:

I have heard plenty from many regarding the dangers of "extremism." The following speaker referred to "extremism" as well; the speaker and his philosophy are up to you to discover.

"I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is "needed" before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible."

"Those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth. And let me remind you, they are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyrannies. Absolute power does corrupt, and those who seek it must be suspect and must be opposed. Their mistaken course stems from false notions of equality, ladies and gentlemen. Equality, rightly understood, as our founding fathers understood it, leads to liberty and to the emancipation of creative differences. Wrongly understood, as it has been so tragically in our time, it leads first to conformity and then to despotism."

"I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!"